Wick Academy travelled to Harlaw Park today to play Cove
Rangers in a repeat of last year's Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup
final. The teams served up a cracker and Cove took the spoils to advance into
the next round running out 4-3 winners.

The opening exchanges were pretty even. The first chance
fell to Cove after 26 minutes. Stuart Duff had a 20 yard shot saved by Sean
McCarthy down low to his right. Daryl Nicol followed up the re-bound but shot
straight at McCarthy.

Academy were next to have a half-chance. Gary Weir was
brought down for a free-kick. Ross Allan took it and it flicked off a defender
for a corner. From the corner, taken by Sam Mackay, the ball fell for Ross Allan
on the edge of the penalty area but he fired over the cross-bar.

Cove broke the dead-lock after 32 minutes. Alan Redford
delivered a long diagonal ball into the Academy box. Jonathan Smith took the
ball down and his shot was saved by McCarthy but he could only parry it into
the path of Daryl Nicol and he buried it from 12 yards out.

1 - 0

Academy missed a great opportunity to level the tie. Sean
McCarthy punted a goal-kick up-field and it was flicked on by Gary Weir for
Davie Allan to run onto. He blasted past the Cove defence and went one-on-one
with keeper Stuart McKenzie but McKenzie made a good save.

5 minutes later and Academy had another good chance. A cross
from the left was cleared as far as Michael Steven. He sent it back into the
mix for Davie Allan but he headed wide from 13 yards out.

A minute before the interval Academy were back on level
terms. Sam Mackay picked the ball up inside the centre circle. He drove
forward, skipped a couple of tackles and from 22 yards out struck a peach off
his laces that beat Stuart McKenzie.

1 - 1

Half Time - Cove Rangers 1 - Wick Academy 1

Academy started the second half well but against the run of
play it was Cove that once again took the lead.

Stuart Walker played a long ball up the left flank. The ball
bounced over Grant Steven and Daryl Nicol was on it in a flash and from 16
yards out he fired into the roof of the net.

2 - 1

In a pulsating cup tie it wasn't long before Academy were
back in it. A long kick-out from Sean McCarthy broke to Davie Allan and he
burst into the Cove box. He squared the ball across the 6 yard box and Darryn
Kelly diverted it into his own net for an unfortunate own-goal.

2 - 2

Four minutes later Academy took the lead for the first time
in the game. A long kick-out from McCarthy again caused the Cove defence issues
as it landed at the feet of Davie Allan. He played it into his brother Ross who
took a touch into the box before firing the ball low across keeper McKenzie
into the bottom right hand corner.

2 - 3

Cove should have equalized in their next attack. Redford fed
Park on the right and he crossed into the box. Jonathan Smith got his head to
it but McCarthy made a great save and the ball was cleared for a corner.

It wasn't long however before parity was restored. The ball
was played into Jonathan Smith who laid it off to his strike partner Daryl
Nicol. Nicol drove onto the box before squaring back to Smith who had the easy
task of a tap home from 8 yards out.

3 - 3

Two minutes later Cove scored what proved to be the winner. Sam Mackay gave away a free-kick for which he also picked up
a booking. Jonathan Smith took it and fired the ball high into the right hand
corner for his second goal in as many minutes.

4 - 3

Straight from the re-start the ball was worked up to Weir on
the edge of the Cove box. He laid it off to Steven Anderson but his goal-bound
shot was pushed for a corner by keeper McKenzie.

End to end stuff. Daniel Park on the right wing laid it into
the feet of Daryl Nicol on the edge of the box and his effort was tipped over
the cross-bar by McCarthy. From the corner Stuart Walker shot straight at
McCarthy from 8 yards out.

Manager Connelly made three changes in the last 10 minutes
but Academy couldn't find a reply. The game ended in a sour note for Cove. In injury time Daryl Nicol gave away a
free-kick. He remonstrated with referee Thomas Shaw and Shaw changed the yellow
he was about to give to a straight red. Nicol will now be suspended for the second round and will certainly be a big miss for Cove in the next stage of the competition.